Ancient Art of Japan: Kokeishi Dolls By: N. Daniel Kokeishi are a simplistic form of wooden dolls found only in the Tohoku area of Japan. The “ko” of Kokeishi means “child”and “keishi” means erasing. These special dolls are surrounded by an air of mystery, as their point of origin is somewhat unknown. There are several theories about how the Kokeishi dolls came to be. The first is the most controversial. About 100 years or so …showed first 75 words of 388 total…

…showed last 75 words of 388 total…Tohoku. Why do the Kokeishi seem to suddenly appear only in this area for such a short amount of time? Well, that remains a mystery. Although Kokeishi dolls were not originally the primary product of wood craftsmen in Tohoku, they are one of the few surviving traditional wood crafts in progress today. Kokeishi dolls are a no longer viewed as toys (or reliquary objects), but as a very respected, simplistic and aesthetically pleasing art form.